Women and Heraldry

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In modern (i.e. post-Renaissance) heraldry, it is common that women's
arms are required to be placed in lozenge-shaped shields. This is a fairly
recent custom, however, and it was generally not in use in the Middle Ages.

France

In his Études héraldiques, Louis Bouly de Lesdain
analyzes French women's seals. He comes to interesting results.

Concerning the shape of the shield, he finds, for the period 1250-1525:
199 normal shields, 34 lozenges, 7 squares and 6 round shields. The oldest
lozenge is dated 1262, the next lozenge is dated 1335. The oldest woman's
arms is dated 1188.

Moreover, he cites 9 men using lozenges on their seals:

1270: Pierre seigneur de la Fauche

1301: Jean de Hainaut

1302: Jean de Châlon, archdeacon of Autun

1308: Matthieu des Essarts, bishop of Evreux

1322: Eustache de Conflans, advocate of Thérouanne

1324: Pierre d'Estayer, squire

1339: Pihilippe II de Melun, archbishop of Sens

1364: Jean I count of Armagnac

1420: Jean IV count of Armagnac

This provides a nice cross-section: lay and cleric, low and high nobility,
titled and untitled, etc. The Armagnacs were among the most powerful lords
in France (and, in 1420, leaders of one of the two factions in the French
civil wars), and I can hardly imagine him using a lozenge shield if it
was deemed the attribute of women. Nine men versus 34 women in the same
period shows that the use by men was not that uncommon, compared to the
use by women. Moreover, the oldest lozenge used by a man is contemporaneous
with the oldest lozenge used by a woman. Clearly, then, the lozenge was
one of various possible shapes, used by both sexes without significant
distinction.

He also notes two octogonal shields (Jeanne de Ponthieu in 1345 and
Marie Chamaillart, wife of Pierre II d'Alençon, in 1391). About
40 women's seals have supporters. One woman's shield has a helm: Alix de
Seyssel, wife of Claude de Clermont seigneur de Montoison, conseiller et
chambellan du Roi, whose impaled arms on a 1479 seal show a helm with crest
and mantling (Demay, Inventaire de la Collection Clairembault, 2587).
Crowns do not come into use (even for queens) until the 16th c (Mary of
England, wife of Louis XII in 1514, Louise de Savoie and Claude de France,
resp. mother and wife of François Ier in 1515). The "cordeliere"
(can't remember the English term: rope around the shield for widows?) is
very rare before the 16th c., and even in the 16th c. is used by married
women as much as (or more than) by widows. Only in the 17th c. does it
acquire that meaning.

Conclusion: aside from the helm, women's arms were not substantially
different from men's in outward appearance. Impalement, however, is the
norm: in the 1350-1625 period, 144 impale compared with 12 who don't (7
in the 14th c.). When catalogues of seals distinguish between the two (collection
Clairembault), 36 are simple impalements versus 20 dimidiations.

England

In England, lozenge shields are also occasionally used by men until
1370, for example Thomas Furnival in 1259. Early lozenge shields used by
women include that of Joan, countess of Surrey (1306) and Maud Fitzpayne
(1356). Several women's seals present a curious arrangement of five lozenge
shields in cross or saltire, each bearing arms of the woman, her two parents,
and two successive husbands (Elizabeth Darcie 1347, Maud countess of Oxford
1336, Maud of Lancaster 1344). The lozenge nevertheless remains uncommon
for women until the Renaissance. A decision of the heralds in 1561 made
it mandatory. (Source: Charles Franklin, Bearing of Coat Armour
by Ladies, London, 1923).

An argument is made in one book I have, that, at least in France, the
law cannot refuse the transmission of titles to females, or even restrict
it by primogeniture, and this as a consequence of a number of international
conventions to which France is a party. The full texts are available on the
United Nations web site or the ECHR Web site (follow the links), along with
the reservations and declarations made by signatories.

Article 26:
All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any
discrimination to the equal protection of the law. In this respect, the law
shall prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and
effective protection against discrimination on any ground such as race,
colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or
social origin, property, birth or other status.

United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women
Dec 18, 1979 (signed by France 17 Jul 1980, in force 14 Dec 1983; signed by United Kingdom
22 Jul 1981, in force 7 April 1986; but a reservation was made upon ratification
that "the United Kingdom [...] does not [...] regard the Convention as imposing
any requirement to repeal or modify any existing laws, regulations, customs or
practices which provide for women to be treated more favourably than men, whether
temporarily or in the longer term [...] the United Kingdom's ratification is subject
to the understanding that none of its obligations under the Convention shall be
treated as extending to the succession to, or possession and enjoyment of, the
Throne, the peerage, titles of honour, social precedence or armorial bearings,
or as extending to the affairs of religious denominations or orders or to the
admission into or service in the Armed Forces of the Crown.")

Article 5. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures:
(a) To modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and
women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and
customary and all other practices which are based on the idea of the
inferiority or the superiority of either of the sexes or on
stereotyped roles for men and women;

Article 5:
Spouses shall enjoy equality of rights and responsibilities of a
private law character between them, and in their relations with their
children, as to marriage, during marriage and in the event of its
dissolution. This Article shall not prevent States from taking such
measures as are necessary in the interests of the children.